Redwood: Review
Information:
Mechanics: Set Collection, Point Salad, Movement Planning.
Player Age: 10+
Player Count: 1 - 4 Players
Time to Play: 45 - 60 Minutes
Game Designer: Christophe Raimbault
Game Artists: Edu Valls
Publisher: Sit Down!
Year Published: 2023
BGG Complexity: 2.27
Disclaimer: A review copy for the game was provided by the publisher.
Player Age: 10+
Player Count: 1 - 4 Players
Time to Play: 45 - 60 Minutes
Game Designer: Christophe Raimbault
Game Artists: Edu Valls
Publisher: Sit Down!
Year Published: 2023
BGG Complexity: 2.27
Disclaimer: A review copy for the game was provided by the publisher.
Introduction:
There has been an increase in the amount of nature being released lately and this is a trend I am loving. The latest nature game I have come across is Redwood. In Redwood, you are trying to capture the beauty of nature’s fauna and flora through your photographic lenses. Over five rounds you will be creating a panorama of images by choosing a movement and shot template. These are then aimed to include the most animals, flowers and sequio. The challenge is to try to make your photo meet as many objectives as possible to score bonus points (harmony tokens).
Game Anatomy:
Board:
The board is broken into five biomes, each with different environments, flora and animals that prefer this biome.
Animals:
There are seven animals that you will encounter through your trails. Each animal has points denoted on them that you will score at the end of the game. This end-game scoring is also when you will gain diversity points for the number of different animals you have captured in your panorama. Animals are hesitant of humans by nature and whenever you take their photo they will flee to a vacant hexagonal biome of the two they prefer.
Flower Tokens and Sequoia Tokens:
The flora in the game is printed on the board. Each sequoia is worth two points at the end of the game and each flower is worth one. If you are playing the advance game, each set of all three flowers is worth seven points. This is much trickier to collect than you would expect.
The Sun:
The sun will move around the five biomes throughout the length of the game; counting the rounds. Whenever it passes an unrevealed objective it will reveal that objective. If the player takes a photo aimed at the biome that the sun is in, they will gain a sun token. These tokens score four points for one but push your luck and they score negative two points for two.
Panorama Cards:
There is a lot of information on these cards. Firstly, they each have an amount of flora or fauna that can be included in the photo as denoted by the focus point icon. Secondly, each set of cards has the biome to their left and right on the bottom of the card. If you match these biomes correctly when taking future photos you will get connection points for your longest run of connected biomes.
In the advanced game, there are red focus points that require certain conditions to be met before allowing them to be covered, for example, certain shot templates being used, covered by sequoia or certain animals.
Sunrise Cards:
The sunrise card is how the animals and sun will be set up at the start of the game.
Objective Cards:
There are five levels of objectives each with its focus and amount of points awarded if fulfilled.
Wherever you take a photo you can fulfil any amount of revealed objectives. As the rounds progress more objectives will be revealed making it possible to score large amounts of bonus points for the later photos.
Move Templates:
Each turn you are going to move your photographer using one of the seven templates. When moving you cannot have your template touch an animal or an opposing player piece.
Shot Templates:
The shot template works the same as the move template except with these templates you want to cover animals with the template. Whatever fauna or flora is covered by the template will be part of the panorama you are creating in that biome. As long as there are enough focus icons on the panorama image.
Each template has two holes towards the end of the template where if you get any of the flora or fauna in these holes you will achieve a perfect photo. All the level one objectives give the players points for perfect photos.
Photographer Miniatures:
Each player has two miniatures. These will be used every turn as you place the second miniature on the round end of the movement template. Once the second miniature is on the board the original miniature will be taken off, finalising the movement.
Setup:
- Place the gameboard in the middle of the table with the animal, flower, sequoia, sun, harmony tokens, string, move and shot templates within reach.
- Place the matching panorama cards next to their biome in the allocated spot. The white border triangle at the bottom of the card is the side for standard gameplay. The other side is for the advanced mode. When using the advanced mode shuffle the panorama cards in each biome stack first.
- Follow the order of objective cards and the sun token on the sunrise card.
- For these objectives, shuffle the matching objective pile and place one in each desired spot.
- As indicated on the sunrise card, place the animal tokens with the hexagon base attached into the matching spots on the card.
- Determine the starting player.
- Give each player their two photographer miniatures. Each player, beginning with the last player, will place one of their minatures on an unoccupied crossroad sign between the biomes.
How to Play:
Throughout five rounds, players will be moving their photographer and taking a photo of the lovely scenery, trying to optimise the points through the flora, fauna and objectives as best they can. Ignoring the first round, at the start of every round the sun will move to the next biome (clockwise), flipping over the objective it passes. On a player's turn they will choose their templates, move their photographer and then take a photo.
Choose Templates:
On your turn you will choose one movement and one shot template. This cannot be the same as the previous round and is normally from the general supply. However, you can choose the templates in front of other players but it will give them one harmony token per template taken. If you touch a template you have to take it, no sizing it up before accepting it. After you choose your templates for the turn discard the last round template.
Move Photographer:
The chosen template will be attached to the base of your photographer on the board. The template can rotate to have the endpoint located anywhere on the board within reach, as long as it doesn't pass the board border, any creatures, or opposing players. The movement phase will end by placing your second photographer on the template endpoint and removing your original photographer from the board.
Take a Photo:
Like the movement template, you will attach the shot template to your photographer and orientate the template as you choose. You still cannot overlap your template with opposing photographers but with this template you want to cover as many fauna and flora as possible.
Using the rope you then check what biome the axis on the template aims at. If it hits a crossroad sign then it can be either biome it touches. Connect the matching panorama card to those in front of you if this isn't the first round. When connecting the card it can go left or right to the connection but can not go in between any previously placed panorama cards.
Any flora and fauna completely covered by the shot template on the board will be taken from the general supply and added to your panorama card if there are vacant focus points. Do not take the animals off the board instead, gain a token from the reserve. The photographer will also gain harmony points for every objective met. When meeting objectives, any revealed objectives can be scored and multiple objectives can be met. This is one of the best ways to score points throughout the game.
The animals you take an image of on the board will be scared away. They all have two biomes they prefer, as depicted on the board. When they are scared away, the active player chooses a vacant hex spot to move the animal.
End Game Scoring:
As a point salad game there are many ways to score:
- Animals of different types (as shown below).
- Each harmony token is worth one point.
- Each harmony symbol shown on an animal tokens in your panorama.
- Two points for each sequoia, one point for each flower and seven points for each set of all unique flowers (in the advanced game).
- Four points for one sun token and negative two points for 2+ sun tokens.
- Points based on connected panorama cards, for 1/2/3/4 connected cards the player scores 3/6/10/15 points.
- Negative one point for every blank focus space on a panorama card.
- Negative three points for any unfilled red focus point (advanced game).
Final Thoughts:
- Great range of ways to score points.
- All revealed objectives can be scored every turn.
- Very unique gameplay by moving and taking pictures with the templates.
- Advanced game is a great way to play as each turn becomes much more tactical.
- Scaring animals can be used as a way to block other players' movements or to set up the next optimal shot for your panorama.
The Sit Down games I have played have always pushed the envelope on creativity, such as Magic Maze and Gravity Superstar, and Redwood is no exception. I have played games themed around photography before but the templates really create an extra layer of challenge as you attempt to size up the right options before touching any. This ultimately leads to unfavourable choices that you now have to make work. The game is constantly filled with pathways to focus on points, including diversifying your animals, scoring multiple objectives each turn, creating panorama connections, and this is just the base game scoring. Once you play the advanced game you will be surprised how challenging it is to complete sets of flowers and fulfil the advanced panoramas without losing points along the way. Redwood has a broad lens with unique mechanisms that has captured the standing of being my favourite nature game. Redwood has most definitely earned a Go-To Golden Game seal.
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